The city of Juárez is adjacent to El Paso and is not a part of the United States.

Mexican authorities are not protecting and respecting their side of the border in respect to their northern neighbor, as we protect and respect our side of the border for our southern neighbor.

Where were the Mexican border patrol, federal agents, governador de Chihuahua, alcalde de Ciudad Juárez and the Juárez Police Department, just to name a few that are responsible for the welfare and safety of the citizens of Juárez when this shooting on the border at "El Puente Negro" took place?

Why are there not Mexican agents on the other side of the border patrolling like our agents are on our side of the border, especially since we fund Mexico to help protect their country?

Why are people in Juárez allowed to hang around the "Puente Negro" when the Mexican authority knows what is taking place at that bridge on a daily bases (mordidas)?

We have signs on our side of the border that tell our citizens not to enter the river area. Mexican President Felipe Calderón needs to start his investigation by asking the Juárez mayor why people are allowed to hang out at the "Puente Negro;" the source of coyoteism.

This Puente has always been a source of income for the coyotes (they range in age from 14 years into their 60s) who hang around 24 hours a day to help bring people across for a fee.

As a parent in Juárez, you know why your son is hanging around the "Puente Negro," and that he is no longer a nice, innocent child, but that young delinquent making money as a coyote who will stop at nothing in order to get his customers across the border and into El Paso.

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We need to understand that our Border Patrol agents cannot confront a group of people crossing our border illegally with a handshake and a smile, especially when Juárez is now known as the most dangerous city in the world.

The stoning of our agents is not something new and is as life-threatening as being shot at with a gun. As soon as the person you are stoning falls, it is then time to go for his gun and finish the attack.

Under no circumstances will our agents risk their lives because someone attacking them might be a young person or non-criminal.

Once you attack an agent, you become a criminal no matter the age, plus you risk the chance of being injured or even killed as a result.

To suggest that our agents patrol the border unarmed, or with bean bags, is ridicules. Our agents have every right to protect themselves first and foremost and then consider the situation at hand.

To say that we will not fire a gun across the river in our defense is unacceptable and would simply show us as cowards and weak people.

This problem can be avoided in the future if the police department and border agents in Juárez clean up their side of the border (we are funding them to help fight crime) by not letting people into the river the way we here in our country demand of our citizens.

Listen to Mexico, blame everybody but themselves when, in fact, the problem originated in Juárez.

We in the United State stand first and foremost for the well-being of our people and the safety of our country, now and forever.

Ignacio Padilla is a former El Paso city representative and a past president of LULAC Council 132.